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Objective: To provide the first document map of sustainability and decarbonisation actions across the Australian healthcare sector, as reported in publicly available documents online, and to identify gaps in actions. Methods: Healthcare providers were identified across all state and territories. Structured Google searches between August and December 2022 were followed by document searches. Updates were undertaken, most recently in December 2023. Targeted documents included position statements, strategies, and reports. Key points from these documents pertaining to sustainability and/or decarbonisation were extracted and descriptively analysed. Results: A total of 294 documents were included, mostly focused on power generation, transport, building design, and circular procurement/waste pathways. In contrast, relatively few plans for decarbonisation of clinical care were identified (n = 42). National and two state governments (New South Wales, Western Australia) have established healthcare sustainability and decarbonisation units, and two further states have publicly committed to doing so (Queensland, Tasmania). However, these documents generally reported separate, siloed actions. While attempts were made to make this review comprehensive, some documents may have been missed or are only available inside an organisation, and new actions will continue to emerge. Conclusion: Broad sustainability plans have been developed by many healthcare providers; however, to achieve net zero, decarbonising of clinical practices is also needed, and this is where the least action is currently occurring. To decarbonise clinical care, the sector needs to come together in a more coordinated way. What is known about the topic? Little is known about what actions are occurring to make healthcare more sustainable and to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper provides a snapshot of publicly available documents from healthcare providers and professional organisations as they relate to healthcare sustainability and helps reveal the gaps and siloed nature of current actions. What are the implications for practitioners? This paper can help jurisdictions identify gaps or areas for improvement and may aid in targeted and coordinated interventions, especially as they relate to decarbonised clinical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

PURPOSE: In Southeastern Ontario, increased patient distance from the regional lung cancer diagnostic assessment program (LDAP) is associated with a lower likelihood of patient care via LDAP while receiving care via LDAP is associated with improved survival. We implemented an LDAP outreach clinic to provide specialist assessment for patients with suspected lung cancer at a regional community hospital and assessed the impact on timeliness and accessibility of care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Kingston Health Sciences Centre LDAP team engaged with community hospital partners to develop and launch the LDAP outreach clinic. We performed a retrospective chart review of LDAP patients (N = 1,070) before (August-November 2021; n = 234) and after implementation of the outreach clinic (November 2021-October 2022; n = 836). Descriptive data are reported as No. (%). Unpaired t tests and statistical process control charts assess for significance. A cost analysis of out-of-pocket patient costs related to travel and parking is presented in 2022 Canadian dollars (CAD). RESULTS: Compared with a 3-month matched time period before (August-October 2021) and after outreach clinic (August-October 2022), the mean time from referral to assessment and time from referral to diagnosis decreased from 20.3 to 14.4 days (P =.0019) and 40.0 to 28.9 days (P =.0007), respectively. Over 12 months, the total patient travel was reduced by 8,856 km, which combined with parking cost-savings, resulted in patient out-of-pocket savings of CAD $5,755.60 (CAD $47.60/patient). Accounting for physician travel, the total travel saved was 5,688 km, corresponding to reduced CO2 emissions by 1.9 tCO2. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a lung cancer outreach clinic led to improved timeliness of care, patient cost-savings, and reduced carbon footprint while serving patients in their community. LDAP outreach clinic led to faster lung cancer diagnosis, reduced patient costs, and lessened environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is undoubtedly a global threat, with extreme weather events, air pollution, and food insecurity disproportionately impacting low-income countries. The healthcare sector, whilst responsible for 4.4% of global net carbon emissions, has been slow in addressing its environmental footprint. This article explores the needs and challenges to achieve sustainable orthopaedic surgery. Orthopaedic surgery continues to create a large carbon footprint, primarily through the use of single-use consumables and energy-intensive operating theatres. While efforts to reduce environmental harm have primarily targeted changes within the operating theatre, a comprehensive approach must consider the entire surgical pathway. The principles of reduce, reuse and recycle are paramount. Reducing surgical caseload and advancing digital healthcare afford opportunities to streamline patient interactions, reduce travel emissions and improve efficiency. Furthermore, reevaluating routine practices, such as preoperative investigations and postoperative care, can minimize unnecessary resource consumption. Improving the sustainability of orthopaedics will bring conflicting clinical, financial and environmental challenges. However, with increasing awareness among healthcare professionals and support from it's professional bodies, there is growing momentum toward sustainable orthopaedic surgery. Transitioning to sustainable orthopaedic surgery neccesitates a broad approach encompassing prevention, optimization, and streamlining of the surgical pathway. Addressing environmental concerns alongside clinical outcomes is imperative for the future of orthopaedic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sustainable development goal 13 centres on calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The aim of this scoping review was to map the published literature for existing evidence on the association between the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 and early childhood caries (ECC). Methods: The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In August 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using search terms related to SDG13 and ECC. Only English language publications were extracted. There was no restriction on the type of publications included in the study. A summary of studies that met the inclusion criteria was conducted highlighting the countries where the studies were conducted, the study designs employed, the journals (dental/non-dental) in which the studies were published, and the findings. In addition, the SDG13 indicators to which the study findings were linked was reported. Results: The initial search yielded 113 potential publications. After removing 57 duplicated papers, 56 publications underwent title and abstract screening, and two studies went through full paper review. Four additional papers were identified from websites and searching the references of the included studies. Two of the six retrieved articles were from India, and one was China, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom respectively. One paper was based on an intervention simulation study, two reported findings from archeologic populations and three papers that were commentaries/opinions. In addition, four studies were linked to SDG 13.1 and they suggested an increased risk for caries with climate change. Two studies were linked to SDG 13.2 and they suggested that the practice of pediatric dentistry contributes negatively to environmental degradation. One study provided evidence on caries prevention management strategies in children that can reduce environmental degradation. Conclusion: The evidence on the links between SDG13 and ECC suggests that climate change may increase the risk for caries, and the management of ECC may increase environmental degradation. However, there are caries prevention strategies that can reduce the negative impact of ECC management on the environment. Context specific and inter-disciplinary research is needed to generate evidence for mitigating the negative bidirectional relationships between SDG13 and ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raising public awareness about the relevance of supporting sustainable practices is required owing to the phenomena of global warming caused by the rising production of greenhouse gases. The healthcare sector generates a relevant proportion of the total carbon emissions in developed countries, and radiology is estimated to be a major contributor to this carbon footprint. Neuroradiology markedly contributes to this negative environmental effect, as this radiological subspecialty generates a high proportion of diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures, the majority of them requiring high energy-intensive equipment. Therefore, neuroradiologists and neuroradiological departments are especially responsible for implementing decisions and initiatives able to reduce the unfavourable environmental effects of their activities, by focusing on four strategic pillars—reducing energy, water, and helium use; properly recycling and/or disposing of waste and residues (including contrast media); encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour; and reducing the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. The purpose of this article is to alert neuroradiologists about their environmental responsibilities and to analyse the most productive strategic axes, goals, and lines of action that contribute to reducing the environmental impact associated with their professional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The National Health Service (NHS) recognised the risk to public health brought by climate change by launching the Greener NHS National Programme in 2020. These organisational changes aim to attain net zero direct carbon emissions. This article reviews the literature on initiatives aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of ENT practice. Method: Systematic review of the literature using scientific, healthcare and general interest (public domain) databases. Results: The initiatives reviewed can be broken down into strategies for mitigating the carbon footprint of long patient stay, use of operative theatres and healthcare travel. The carbon footprint of in-patient stay can be mitigated by a shift towards day-case surgery. The ENT community is currently focused on the reduction of theatre waste and the use of disposable instruments. Furthermore, supply chains and healthcare delivery models are being redesigned to reduce travel. Conclusion: Future areas of development include designing waterless theatre scrubs, waste-trapping technologies for anaesthetic gases and a continuing investment in virtual healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable system-of-systems (SSoS) approach, complemented with econometric analysis was used to address China's decarbonisation problem, i.e. selecting fossil fuel consumption sources to be reduced in various regions to meet CO2 reduction targets with minimal effect on population and economic growth. In the SSoS, the micro-level system is represented by residents' health expenditure, the meso-level system by industry's CO2 emissions intensity, and the macro-level system by the government's achievement of economic growth. Regional panel data from 2009 to 2019 were used in an econometric analysis conducted using structural equation modelling. The results show that health expenditure was affected by CO2 emissions from the consumption of raw coal and natural gas. To support economic growth, the government should reduce raw coal consumption. For CO2 emissions reduction, industry in the eastern region should reduce raw coal consumption. The key advantage is SSoS with econometrics offers a way to reach a common goal among stakeholders. Practitioner summary: This research shows that the use of the SSoS approach, complemented with an econometric analysis of key social, economic, and natural capital data, can address a complex decarbonisation problem facing a nation (China, in the present case) while considering the goals of all stakeholders (the government, industrial communities, and residential communities). Abbreviations: CEADs: Carbon Emissions Accounts and Datasets for Emerging Countries; CEIC: CEIC Global Database; GRPS: World Economic Forum's Global Risks Perception Survey; HFE: human factors/ergonomics; ML-SEM: maximum likelihood estimation method; NDRC: National Development and Reform Commission of China; SEM: structural equation modelling; SSoS: Sustainable system-of-systems; TBL: triple bottom line [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article views the inappropriate prescribing in older people as a patient safety issue and an avoidable source of environmental harm. It points out the rise in consumption of pharmaceuticals due to ageing populations and technological innovations in the treatment of chronic and ageing-related diseases. It considers the National Health Service's share of medicines in carbon emissions in the United Kingdom (UK) and urges for the need to tackle inappropriate polypharmacy in older people.

Over the past decade, there is a growing global call for low carbon development. However, there is no adequate low‐carbon policies to address the trade‐off between rural logistics development and low‐carbon goals. Jiangsu is one of the pilot sites for most of China's policy reforms and has the potential to develop a low carbon transformation of rural logistics. Therefore, we provide an in‐depth analysis of the above trade‐offs from an industrial perspective by integrating the key features of rural logistics into a unified framework and modelling a rural logistics system dynamic model using rural logistics in Jiangsu as a case study. We compare the development trend of Jiangsu's rural logistics industry from 2021 to 2030 under the traditional development model, the green image policy, the fixed carbon policy and the fixed carbon tax rebate policy. The findings show that, first, in the absence of policy intervention, rural logistics in Jiangsu will not actively adopt any low‐carbon behaviour, which will lead to an inevitable rise in CO2. Second, the simulation results in fixed carbon policy show that the policies that impose excessive burdens on rural logistics are invalid rural logistics that need enough funds to develop their own supply capacity and carbon abatement capacity. Third, the green image policy is more advantageous in addressing the trade‐offs between rural logistics development and the low‐carbon transition, which not only avoids burdening rural logistics but also improves the supply capacity of rural logistics by increasing the demand for rural logistics. Finally, the government can implement the green image policy in the early stage and then introduce the carbon tax rebate policy in the middle stage to improve and increase the capacity of the rural logistics sector to embrace low carbon transition, which can help implement subsequently implement the carbon tax rebate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to calculate the baseline carbon inventory of Mercy Health, a provider of health and aged care services in Australia, across emission Scopes 1, 2 and 3. The carbon inventory has clarified the baseline environmental impact, identified carbon hotspots and will inform emissions reduction interventions and a decarbonisation trajectory. Methods. A hybrid carbon footprinting methodology was devised. Established carbon footprinting standards provided methodological guidance. A consulting firm with health service carbon accounting experience provided expertise, rigour and objectivity to the work. Results. In the 2020–21 financial year, the carbon footprint of Mercy Health was 102.96k tCO2-e. Scope 1 emissions accounted for 11.07% (11.40k tCO2-e), followed by Scope 2 with 29.80% (30.68k tCO2-e) and Scope 3 with 59.13% (60.88k tCO2-e). The largest carbon impost group was Building energy (42.01%; 43.25k tCO2-e), followed by Food and catering (9.42%; 9.70k tCO2-e) and Business services (7.74%; 7.97k tCO2-e). Mercy Health’s Health Services, Aged Care and Support Services divisions contributed 49.16, 47.81 and 3.03% (50.61k, 49.23k and 3.12k tCO2-e) of total greenhouse gas emissions respectively. Conclusions. Mercy Health’s Health Services division and Aged Care division each comprised around half of total organisation carbon emissions. Building energy dominated emissions, particularly electricity. The study discovered meaningful differences in the composition of carbon emissions in operational divisions of the organisation, indicating tailored interventions will be required to meet carbon abatement targets. The study demonstrates the benefit of conducting carbon footprinting within individual organisations, and the importance of studies within the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is going through an environmental and nutritional crisis related to unsustainable dietary behaviours. Sustainable diets could solve both problems together. This study protocol aims to develop a three-stage, 15-week mHealth randomised controlled trial of a sustainable-psycho-nutritional intervention programme to promote Mexican population adherence to a sustainable diet and to evaluate its effects on health and environmental outcomes. In stage 1, the programme will be designed using the sustainable diets, behaviour change wheel and capability, opportunity, motivation, and behaviour (COM-B) models. A sustainable food guide, recipes, meal plans and a mobile application will be developed. In stage 2, the intervention will be implemented for 7 weeks, and a 7-week follow-up period in a young Mexican adults (18–35 years) sample, randomly divided (1:1 ratio) into a control group (n 50) and an experimental group (n 50), will be divided into two arms at week 8. Outcomes will include health, nutrition, environment, behaviour and nutritional-sustainable knowledge. Additionally, socio-economics and culture will be considered. Thirteen behavioural objectives will be included using successive approaches in online workshops twice a week. The population will be monitored using the mobile application consisting of behavioural change techniques. In stage 3, the effects of the intervention will be assessed using mixed-effects models on dietary intake and quality, nutritional status, physical activity, metabolic biomarkers (serum glucose and lipid profile), gut microbiota composition and dietary water and carbon footprints of the evaluated population. Improvements in health outcomes and a decrease in dietary water and carbon footprints are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) House of Delegates' approved professional policies as of November 2023. Topics covered include the goals and sources of Education and Training in Digital Health, of Digital Therapeutics Products, of Interoperability of Patient-Care Technologies, Patient Medication Delivery Systems, and Education About Performance-Enhancing Substances. Also noted is the category of Support for Food and Drug Expanded Access Program.

Copyright of Anaesthesiologie & Intensivmedizin is the property of DGAI e.V. - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Anasthesiologie und Intensivmedizin e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the article, the author discusses how a collective consumer action to engage the participation of the private sector can drive action and momentum to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement to mitigate climate change. Other topics include the potential environmental effects of greenhouse gases, the existing technologies and scientific solutions to mitigate emissions, and the countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the agreement.

Mark Garner emphasises the benefits of going digital in the dental practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concern over climate change is growing in the healthcare space, and telemedicine has been rapidly expanding since the start of the COVID19 pandemic. Understanding the various sources of environmental emissions from clinic visits—both virtual and in-person—will help create a more sustainable healthcare system. This study uses a Life Cycle Assessment with retrospective clinical data from Stanford Health Care (SHC) in 2019–2021 to determine the environmental emissions associated with in-person and virtual clinic visits. SHC saw 13% increase in clinic visits, but due to the rise in telemedicine services, the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHGs) from these visits decreased 36% between 2019 and 2021. Telemedicine (phone and video appointments) helped SHC avoid approximately 17,000 metric tons of GHGs in 2021. Some departments, such as psychiatry and cancer achieved greater GHG reductions, as they were able to perform more virtual visits. Telemedicine is an important component for the reduction of GHGs in healthcare systems; however, telemedicine cannot replace every clinic visit and proper triaging and tracking systems should be in place to avoid duplicative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the waste of resources and economic losses, environmental damage by gas flaring is widespread and significant. Since flaring the associated gas gives no added value in exchange for its pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it could be identified as a top priority for mitigation. Iran is the third gas flaring country after Russia and Iraq among those facing this issue, and is responsible for 12.1% of the world's gas flaring. While the necessity of developing a method for the precise estimation of flaring GHG emissions is clear, especially for evaluating the result of countries' efforts to meet their nationally determined contribution target, there are huge uncertainties and discrepancies in the values of emission factors among various data sources due to the lack of actual measurements of the volume and diversity of the composition of flare gas. This study aimed to fill the gap in providing authentic data on Iran's gas flaring GHG and air pollutant emissions by developing a model based on satellite data on flare volumes, gas compositions, and combustion equations. Our results revealed that based on 2021 data on flaring volume, Iranian gas flares are emitting approximately 50 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent to the atmosphere annually, which could be reduced to 43 by only enhancing the flares' efficiency. It accounted for 5.5%–6% of the total GHG emissions of the country. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:735–748. © 2022 SETAC. Key Points: Iranian gas flares are emitting some 50 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent to the atmosphere annually, accounting for 5.5%–6% of the country's total GHG emissions.Slight increases in the flare's destruction efficiency can cause a huge decrease in its value of global warming potential.The gas flare's emission factors suggested by USEPA would be reliable only if a combustion efficiency of 98% and a destruction efficiency of 99% were considered, while emission factors suggested by Ecoinvent seem to be too optimistic to be true.By taking advantage of fair access to financial opportunities and international cooperation envisaged through the Convention (COP21), the Paris Agreement could be a historic opportunity for the complete elimination of gas flaring from Iran's upstream and downstream oil industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I examine the effects of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program, which requires thousands of industrial facilities to measure and report their GHG emissions. I show that facilities reduce their GHG emissions by 7.9% following the disclosure of emissions data. The evidence indicates that benchmarking—whereby facilities use the disclosures of their peers to assess their own relative GHG performance—spurs emission reductions. Firms' concerns about future legislation appear to motivate this behavior and measurement alone (without disclosure) seems not to reduce emissions. My study highlights how mandatory GHG disclosure can create real effects for peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), sustainable and healthy eating behaviors, and awareness of reducing the ecological footprint. It was conducted with 1333 adults (38.2% male, 61.8% female, mean age 24.2 ± 7.5 years). The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, the Awareness Scale for Reducing Ecological Footprint (ASREF), the Sustainable and Healthy Eating (SHE) Behaviors Scale, and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS). 40.2% of the participants adhered to the MD (≥7 scores). Obese individuals' total scores on MEDAS, SHE Behaviors Scale, and ASREF were the lowest (p < 0.05). In regression analysis, education duration, SHE Behaviors Scale total score, and BMI affected the ASREF score (p < 0.05). The education duration, SHE Behaviors Scale scores, and ASREF scores were higher in those in MD-adherence group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adherence to the MD was associated with higher sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and higher awareness of ecological footprint reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health priority. People with CKD experience high morbidity and mortality rates, often associated with multiple long-term health conditions. While the health sector tackles shortfalls across the workforce, increased treatment costs and the subsequent impacts on care delivery, the disproportionate contribution of nephrology to the overall healthcare carbon footprint, caused by high levels of resource usage and waste generation, must be confronted. Opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of kidney care might be possible through the use and evaluation of digital technological solutions; for example, telemedicine and electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROs) can ensure that each patient with CKD receives the care and treatment they require to successfully and sustainably achieve outcomes that matter to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combating climate change is a global endeavor, requiring participation from every industry including healthcare. A team comprising of radiologists, radiographers and administrators from the National University Hospital Department of Diagnostic Imaging came together to examine key contributors of carbon emission in a radiology department. Three contributors, namely high electrical consumption from reporting workstations, excessive paper usage and insufficient recycling were identified through data logging and workflow process reviews. Given the high electrical consumption of reporting workstations, automatic shutdown via IT control was implemented after office hours. Educational posters were placed in various locations to remind end-users to shut down their workstations when not in use. Paperless workflow was introduced by implementing electronic documentation through a functionality upgrade of the current Radiology Information System (RIS), procurement of mobile workstations and transitioning staff towards electronic documentation and consent-taking. Lastly, recycling was introduced to bring down the volume of disposed general waste. Clean plastic waste such as expended contrast syringe packages were consolidated for recycling; coupled with end user education, inculcating a culture of reuse, reduce and recycle within the department. End results were measured and compared to baseline readings before implementation. The green solutions implemented brought about a 50% reduction in electrical consumption of reporting workstation, 30% reduction off paper usage and approximately 20 Tonnes in reduction of CO 2 carbon footprint emission. Secondary benefits include monetary savings from reduction in paper procurement and energy cost and improved patient safety from paperless workflow. We must continuously review established workflow and processes to drive sustainability. Apart from using a top-down approach for green practices, the concept of sustainability should be infused into the department culture for positive change to combat climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change represents a looming health challenge and a critical area for nursing leadership at all levels of organizations and settings. With a lens on The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity , addressing climate change–related health consequences should be a major focus and spotlight for nurses and nurse leaders with a lens on individuals, communities, populations, and from a national and global perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a climate change mitigation strategy, environmentally certified 'green' buildings with low carbon footprints are becoming more prevalent in the world. An interesting psychological question is how people perceive the carbon footprint of these buildings given their spatial distributions in a given community. Here we examine whether regular distribution (i.e., buildings organized in a block) or irregular distribution (i.e., buildings randomly distributed) influences people's perception of the carbon footprint of the communities. We first replicated the negative footprint illusion, the tendency to estimate a lower carbon footprint of a combined group of environmentally certified green buildings and ordinary conventional buildings, than the carbon footprint of the conventional buildings alone. Importantly, we found that irregular distribution of the buildings increased the magnitude of the negative footprint illusion. Potential applied implications for urban planning of green buildings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globe is feeling the intensifying detrimental impacts of climate change, and with these impacts comes increasing public consciousness of the urgent need to mitigate or slow climate change processes. However, as this need has become clearer and more widespread, so has the reality that prior attempts to combat climate change through international treaties, domestic government action, and instances of climate change litigation have largely fallen flat. Importantly, the energy sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions both across the globe and in the United States. In 2018, this sector contributed 91% of the United States' GHG emissions. While the energy sector is critical to the functioning of our global society and economy, further progress toward widespread adoption of sustainable, non-carbon intensive energy resources is necessary to combat the climate crisis. This Comment centers on an emerging trend in combatting climate change: filing securities fraud claims against Carbon Majors to motivate climate action. This Comment argues for the viability and validity of pursuing climate change securities fraud litigation to hold Carbon Majors--GHGemitting energy corporations like ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and Chevron--accountable for their outsized role in climate change. Two recent cases have attempted, or are attempting, to accomplish just that: People v. ExxonMobil and Commonwealth v. ExxonMobil. These cases highlight the missteps and merits of climate change securities fraud litigation, thus informing future successful claims. Ultimately, this Comment sets forth climate change securities fraud litigation against Carbon Majors--both by State Attorneys General and by non-state, apolitical shareholders--as one strategy that will finally move the needle on climate action by financially encouraging the renewable energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steam and flue gas injection is an enhanced recovery technique that has generated great interest in studies as it takes advantage of the gases produced in combustion processes, which increase the efficiency of crude oil recovery in the reservoir and diminish the emission of greenhouse gases. The operating conditions together with the injected fluids can result in a highly corrosive environment, degrading the properties of the materials used, in addition to operational and financial risks. This research focused on the study of API N-80 carbon steel exposed to a steam and flue gas atmosphere, at pressure and temperature conditions in the ranges of 800-1,100 psi (55.1-75.8 bar) and 520-560 °F (270.1-290.3 °C), in order to understand the synergy between pressure and temperature and the effect of each variable in the corrosion process. From the conditions described above, a simulation stage in HSC Chemistry software was developed to determine three factors: the theoretical corrosion products, the way they interact with each other, and the effect of further variables. Findings revealed that temperature at a constant pressure generated a decrease in the amounts formed of Fe2O3, this percentage decrease was of the order of 1 %, and FeCO3, where the percentage decrease was of the order of 0.23 %, and a greater formation of Fe3O4, this percentage increase was around from 18 to 19%. When evaluating the increase in pressure at a constant temperature, a greater amount of Fe2O3 and FeCO3 and a reduction of Fe3O4 were observed. The temperature variable had a greater effect than the pressure on the variation of the quantities formed in the thermodynamic equilibrium of the theoretical corrosion products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing COVID-19 pandemic has driven personal protective equipment use and consumption surge, leading to plastic pollution as most waste goes to landfills. Biodegradable polypropylene (PP) gowns claimed to have similar production costs as standard PP film ones might be more environmentally friendly due to the degradability after landfilling. The illustration of their sustainable end-of-life waste disposal options is lacking and requires a systematic comparison of their environmental impacts. A holistic life cycle assessment approach based on full-spectrum environmental indicators identifies the environmentally sustainable waste disposal options. Results illustrate the environmental benefits of landfill gas capture and utilization incorporated to landfilling biodegradable gown wastes by reducing 48.81 % land-use, 9.35 % greenhouse gas emissions from fossil sources, and 5.67 % from land-use greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. Despite these environmental advantages, industrial composting embodies lower environmental emissions than sanitary landfills for treating biodegradable gowns. Fossil-based gowns treated by landfills can have lower environmental impacts than composting biodegradable gowns in full-spectrum environmental indicators. The standard gown landfilling is identified as the environmentally sustainable disposal option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Designs that evoke fun and surprise have been successful in driving uncommon positive behavior. Affective design (AD) is based on the premise that products and services can elicit strong affective responses that can be harnessed for specific purposes such as increasing consumption. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to discuss the theoretical foundations and applications of AD to address contemporary consumption, recycling, and healthcare issues. METHODS: Current applications of AD to address environmental and health issues were analyzed in terms of effectiveness in changing user behavior. Relevant concepts were used to provide future research directions in this field. RESULTS: Early applications of AD focused on designing products to increase customer satisfaction and stimulate consumption. The method, however, is auspicious in solving relevant societal and global problems. To pave the way for successful integration of AD, one research direction is the need to identify the right emotion to elicit in a certain context. There is a dearth of literature to promote sustainable consumption, such as using less energy, minimizing carbon footprint, or just taking care of the environment using AD. CONCLUSION: The integration of AD is a strategy that can be used to prompt behavior beneficial to society and the environment. Literature on AD suggests that a deliberate effort to manipulate design factors can work to elicit strong affective responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with U.S. The Joint Commission chief executive officer (CEO) Jonathan B. Perlin is presented. He talks about his career trajectory in the healthcare industry. He explains his priorities in the commission, including advancing health equity, addressing workforce shortages, and introducing new models of care as of July 2022. He discusses how medical technology could improve equity in healthcare.

As a complementary means to urban public transit systems, public bike-sharing provides a green and active mode of sustainable mobility, while reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and promoting health. There has been increasing interest in factors affecting bike-sharing usage, but little is known about the effect of ambient air pollution. To assess the short-term impact of daily exposure to multiple air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , and O 3) on the public bike-sharing system (PBS) usage in Seoul, South Korea (2018–2021), we applied a quasi-Poisson generalized linear model combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM). The model was adjusted for day of the week, holiday, temperature, relative humidity, and long-term trend. We also conducted stratification analyses to examine the potential effect modification by age group, seasonality, and COVID-19. We found that there was a negative association between daily ambient air pollution and the PBS usage level at a single lag day 1 (i.e. , air quality a day before the event) across all four pollutants. Our results suggest that days with high levels of air pollutants (at 95th percentile) are associated with a 0.91% (0.86% to 0.96%) for PM 2.5 , 0.89% (0.85% to 0.94%) for PM 10 , 0.87% (0.82% to 0.91%) for O 3 , and 0.92% (0.87% to 0.98%) for NO 2 , reduction in cycling behavior in the next day compared to days with low levels of pollutants (at 25th percentile). No evidence of effect modification was found by seasonality, age nor the COVID-19 pandemic for any of the four pollutants. Our findings suggest that high concentrations of ambient air pollution are associated with decreased rates of PBS usage on the subsequent day regardless of the type of air pollutant measured. • Ambient air pollution was negatively associated with public bike-sharing system usage. • Elevated levels of air pollutants impacted next day bike usage. • The impact of air pollution did not vary based on age, COVID-19, and seasonality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]